Simplified IPC communication for Electron apps

The biggest benefit of this module over the built-in IPC is that it enables you to send a message and get the response back in the same call. This would usually require multiple IPC subscriptions.

You can use this module directly in both the main and renderer process.

$ npm install electron-better-ipc

Requires Electron 10 or later.

Here, as an example, we use the built-in IPC to get an emoji by name in the renderer process from the main process. Notice how it requires coordinating multiple IPC subscriptions.

const {ipcMain: ipc} = require('electron');

ipc.on('get-emoji', async (event, emojiName) => {
	const emoji = await getEmoji(emojiName);
	event.sender.send('get-emoji-response', emoji);
});

const {ipcRenderer: ipc} = require('electron');

ipc.on('get-emoji-response', (event, emoji) => {
	console.log(emoji);
	//=> '🦄'
});

ipc.send('get-emoji', 'unicorn');

As you can see below, this module makes it much simpler to handle the communication. You no longer need multiple IPC subscriptions and you can just await the response in the same call.

const {ipcMain: ipc} = require('electron-better-ipc');

ipc.answerRenderer('get-emoji', async emojiName => {
	const emoji = await getEmoji(emojiName);
	return emoji;
});

const {ipcRenderer: ipc} = require('electron-better-ipc');

(async () => {
	const emoji = await ipc.callMain('get-emoji', 'unicorn');
	console.log(emoji);
	//=> '🦄'
})();

Here we do the inverse of the above, we get an emoji by name in the main process from the renderer process:

const {ipcRenderer: ipc} = require('electron-better-ipc');

ipc.answerMain('get-emoji', async emojiName => {
	const emoji = await getEmoji(emojiName);
	return emoji;
});

const {ipcMain: ipc} = require('electron-better-ipc');

(async () => {
	const emoji = await ipc.callFocusedRenderer('get-emoji', 'unicorn');
	console.log(emoji);
	//=> '🦄'
})();

The module exports ipcMain and ipcRenderer objects which enhance the built-in ipc module with some added methods, so you can use them as a replacement for electron.ipcMain/electron.ipcRenderer.

Send a message to the given window.

In the renderer process, use ipcRenderer.answerMain to reply to this message.

Returns a Promise<unknown> with the reply from the renderer process.

Type: BrowserWindow

The window to send the message to.

Type: string

The channel to send the message on.

Type: unknown

The data to send to the receiver.

Send a message to the focused window, as determined by electron.BrowserWindow.getFocusedWindow.

In the renderer process, use ipcRenderer.answerMain to reply to this message.

Returns a Promise<unknown> with the reply from the renderer process.

Type: string

The channel to send the message on.

Type: unknown

The data to send to the receiver.

This method listens for a message from ipcRenderer.callMain defined in a renderer process and replies back.

Returns a function, that when called, removes the listener.

Type: string

The channel to send the message on.

Type: Function | AsyncFunction

The return value is sent back to the ipcRenderer.callMain in the renderer process.

This method listens for a message from ipcRenderer.callMain defined in the given BrowserWindow's renderer process and replies back.

Returns a function, that when called, removes the listener.

Type: BrowserWindow

The window for which to expect the message.

Type: string

The channel to send the message on.

Type: Function | AsyncFunction

The return value is sent back to the ipcRenderer.callMain in the renderer process.

Send a message to all renderer processes (windows).

Type: string

The channel to send the message on.

Type: unknown

The data to send to the receiver.

Send a message to the main process.

In the main process, use ipcMain.answerRenderer to reply to this message.

Returns a Promise<unknown> with the reply from the main process.

Type: string

The channel to send the message on.

Type: unknown

The data to send to the receiver.

This method listens for a message from ipcMain.callRenderer defined in the main process and replies back.

Returns a function, that when called, removes the listener.

Type: string

The channel to send the message on.

Type: Function | AsyncFunction

The return value is sent back to the ipcMain.callRenderer in the main process.

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